Driest July on record sparks warning over Britain's food supplies

Britain’s food security is under growing pressure after England and Wales experienced their driest July on record, the NFU has warned.

Provisional Met Office figures show southern England also recorded its driest month since records began in 1836.

The Met Office said prolonged heat, abundant sunshine and an almost complete absence of rain in some regions had created a “truly exceptional” month.

Against that backdrop, the NFU is calling on the government to protect water supplies for domestic food production.

Its demands include more flexible abstraction licences, faster planning decisions for agricultural water storage and greater financial support for on-farm reservoirs.

Flexible licences would allow farmers to collect and store water during wet periods for use when supplies become scarce.

The union also wants planning rules simplified so farmers and growers can build reservoirs and other water-storage facilities more quickly.

It said investment could be encouraged by opening the Water Management Grant or broadening the Annual Investment Allowance.

NFU president Tom Bradshaw said: “This is one of the most severe droughts many farmers and growers have lived through.”

Poor harvest yields are expected, while fruit and vegetable growers are struggling to secure enough water for irrigation.

Livestock farmers are also using grass cut during the spring and intended for winter feed because dry conditions have severely restricted new growth.

The dry spell follows last year’s drought summer and comes amid increasingly extreme weather driven by human-caused climate change, largely caused by burning fossil fuels.

Two record-breaking heatwaves in May and June were linked to more than 2,800 excess deaths. Two further heatwaves in July have contributed to drought conditions and wildfires.

The NFU said the situation in parts of Europe was even more alarming, with France and Spain experiencing soaring temperatures and major wildfires.

Both countries are important sources of food imported into Britain, highlighting the risks of relying too heavily on overseas supplies. The UK imports around 40% of the food it consumes.

“While retailers are used to managing variations in global supply, we’re not going to be able to trade our way through this potential crisis,” Mr Bradshaw said.

The NFU wants domestic food production to be treated as part of the country’s critical infrastructure, with reliable water supplies protected for farms producing food for the UK’s 29 million households.

“We must create a more resilient food system to feed the 29 million households across the country, and we can’t produce food without water,” Mr Bradshaw said.

Reliable supplies are particularly important for livestock, poultry and pig farms, where shortages could threaten animal welfare and the viability of farming businesses.

The NFU is calling for the government, Environment Agency and water companies to establish a risk register identifying agricultural businesses most vulnerable to water shortages.

It also wants farmers to receive clearer and more timely information about water levels, possible cessation notices, restrictions and when supplies are expected to become available again.

The union said improving access to water would allow British farmers to produce more of the food the country needs, particularly fruit and vegetables.